After first changing in 2017, many parents and students were left confused by the new way of grading GCSE exams, and some will want to know how they compare with the old system ahead of tomorrow's results day. The traditional ABC system was replaced by the 1-9 grading scheme to keep pace with the demands of universities and employers, according to the UK government.
The first reformed GCSEs were only introduced in English literature, language and maths, before a further 20 subjects were added in 2018. By 2020, all GCSEs were graded using numbers instead of letters, with this being the first year they have been applied by examiners following two consecutive years of teacher-assessed marks.
The updated grade scale has more higher grades than before, allowing sixth forms, colleges, universities and employers to better recognise the achievements of higher-performing students. They were introduced as part of a 2014 curriculum reform by then-Education Secretary Michael Gove
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GCSE number to letter guide
The numerical system provides one additional possible grade to GCSE students, meaning they are not directly comparable, with the exception of the U ‘ungraded’ grade. Other direct comparisons that can be made are the bottom of grade 7 (aligned with the bottom of grade A), the bottom of grade 4 (the bottom of grade C) and the bottom of grade 1 (the bottom of grade G).
The highest possible grade is now a 9 while 1 is the lowest. Here is the full guide comparing the old letter grading scale to the new numerical one.
- 9 = High A*
- 8 = Low A* or high A
- 7 = Low A
- 6 = High B
- 5 = Low B or high C
- 4 = Low C
- 3 = D or high E
- 2 = Low E or high F
- 1 = Low F or G
- U = U
To identify “exceptional performance", exams watchdog Ofqual said that fewer grade 9s will be awarded than A*s. While a C was previously deemed as a pass, pupils now need a 4 for a ‘standard pass’ and a 5 for a ‘strong pass’.
As a result, anyone who gets nine grade 4s has technically passed all their exams, although many sixth forms will require a minimum of 5 or 6 to gain entry. The government’s school league tables are determined based on the percentage of students who receive a 5 or above in their English and maths GCSEs.
Why were the GCSE grades changed?
The curriculum overhaul aimed to change many aspects of GCSEs. The decision to change the grading system was made to allow for greater differentiation between students.
Less emphasis was put on coursework, with most grades decided by final exams. This was designed to be more challenging as regular assessments throughout the course were cut back. The move from letters to numbers was also hoped to enable employers to see "whether a student has taken a new, more challenging GCSE, or an old reformed GCSE," according to the government.
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